Old Photos

Many people have old photographs that have been handed down through the family often these old photos are a vital link to the past and something to be treasured.
Your Grandma may have kept these irreplaceable images of your ancestors in an old shoe box or biscuit tin, and managed to keep them safe through two world wars. But now it is your turn to look after these images and safe guard them for future generations. You might think that a box of old photographs is perfectly safe from accidental damage, but how would you feel if the box was inadvertently destroyed by fire or water damage?

The loss of all your family photographs would mean that future generations of your family have lost their visual link to the past.
Old family photographs of ancestors are part of our family heritage. They can help future generations piece together different branches of the family as well as paint a picture of the past. Whilst stories and anecdotes are an important way of keeping the family history alive, pictures of our ancestors bring the story to vivid life in a way words cannot.
Photographs of Victorian and Edwardian ancestors will probably fade away slowly, and later photographs or 35mm slides that have been kept in a cupboard or on top of the wardrobe can all show signs of age. Fortunately it is possible to restore old photos and bring them back to life with the aid of modern technology. A restoration specialist will hopefully be able to repair the damage and you might end up being pleasantly surprised at just how much detail is uncovered once the restoration process has taken place. Never assume that a damaged old photograph of one of your ancestor is beyond repair -- the chances are good that it can be fixed.
If you do not want to hire someone to do the work and have the expertise, equipment and software you may enjoy restoring your own family photos. There is no shortage of advice and tutorials on the web.
It will take a lot of practice and time using image editing software before you will be fully conversant with the amazing things the program is capable of, but once you know how each feature works it is entirely possible to enhance old photographs so that they look almost as good as new once again. Damage can be repaired, colour can be added to sepia tinted or black and white pictures and composition can be improved. As well as a software package such as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you will also need a good scanner to scan the images on to your computer.
Modern technology can help store, restore and share your old photos with the world. But do not forget to treat your newly taken images with respect—the photographs of today are the mementoes for the next generation!